Onward, Mississippi

Michelle poses with a rather large teddy bear on the porch of the Onward Store.

We've seen lots of firsts on our trip — including this armadillo basket.
Just the thing to add some, uh, life to a dull dinner table.

No, it's not a motivational cheer or command: Onward, Mississippi is a tiny little bend in the road a few miles south of Cary — a bend with history. We stopped by today to learn more.

President Teddy Roosevelt came to this part of Mississippi to hunt for bears in 1902. The story has it that the president's hunting guide  had arranged for a bear to be captured and tied so that Roosevelt would be sure to get a bear — and that Roosevelt refused to shoot the tied-up bear, leading to the manufacture of stuffed toy bears by companies like Cracker Jack. Teddy bears. 

That's the story, anyway.